First Paragraph- Trick or Treat

TRICK OR TREAT

Ben was out walking his dog long before most people had decided to pour their first cup of coffee. He liked it that way; much less of a chance to run into someone from the neighborhood. It was early in the morning and the path he took was littered with the misplaced bounty of last night’s trick or treat mob. Like modern day Hansels & Gretels, the masked kids had left a trail of Tootsie Rolls, Suckers, and Gum that could lead any abductor right to their front doors. Ben craved isolation and was a man who took great lengths to separate himself from those around him. The mere thought of Halloween made his pulse race and his blood pressure rise. The same children who routinely mocked Ben had come to his door in a steady stream asking for their unearned treats; they were all scavengers and beggars masquerading under the guise of a pagan holiday. It was his first year in this house and the previous owners must have been generous, for even a turned off porch light was not enough to stop his doorbell from ringing well into the night. His nerves frayed and his dog nearly hoarse from barking, Ben had retreated to his bedroom closet in a futile attempt to keep his anger in check. He had vowed this year would be different, but the mini Michael Jacksons and Candy Corn Witches just wouldn’t leave him alone. He had convinced himself the closet was a place of retreat; a place to regain the balance the doorbell had tried to upset. But this closet held more than clothes, it also held secrets. Ben had spent his entire life posing as someone else, so why did a day where others did the same upset him so much? He had known what would happen before the night was through, but still did his best to fight off the urge that had grown so rapidly inside him. Replaying the video of his memory, the sound of candy cracking under his step and his dog barking at a rabbit jolted Ben back to reality. He tried to pass off the horrific memory as a dream, but his blood soaked shirt betrayed him. If asked, he would simply state he hadn’t changed from last night’s costume party. In reality, there was one less heart beating this morning and Ben had no idea whose it was.